Men’s NCAA DIV. I Champs, Day 3 Prelims: Texas Poised to Win It All

By Phillip Whitten

COLLEGE STATION, TX., March 24. COACH Eddie Reese's University of Texas Longhorns stand poised, set to win their second straight men's NCAA Div. I Swimming and Diving title tonight, when the three day meet comes to a close. Leading second-place Stanford by 110 points going into tonight's finals, the 'Horns
qualified well this morning–well enough almost to assure a victory.

200 YARD BACKSTROKE
The top qualifier in the 200 back is Georgia junior March Lindsay at 1:42.20, as four swimmers went 1:42s and the top six are within a second of each other.
Stanford qualified swimmers in second (Markus Rogan), third (Peter Marshall) and fifth (Randall Bal)while Texas' Nate Dusing was fourth in the morning's heats.

100 YARD FREESTYLE
As expected Cal's Anthony Ervin was top qualifier, touching in 42.49. But he can expect a battle tonight from Auburn's Greg Busse, right behind him at 42.53.
Texas' Jamie Rauch was the only other swimmer to go under 43 seconds in the morning, swimming 42.90.

Ervin, aa 2000 Olympic gold and silver medalist, had the fastest first 50–19.83 seconds, the only man under 20 seconds at the 50–but the slowest second 50 (22.66).

Texas qualified two swimmers for the Big Final and one for consols; Stanford failed to place anyone in the A finals, though two Cardinals made the B finals.

200 YARD BREASTSTROKE
For 11 years, Mike Barrowman's American record in the 200 yard breaststroke (1:53.77) has stood like the Great Pyramid, mocking the efforts of mere mortals to dare and beat it.

After this morning's prelims, Barrowman's record still stands, but it is looking more and more approachable.
Texas freshman, Brendan Hansen, who won the 100 breast last night (52.35), clocked a stunning 1:54.63 in the prelims of the 200 this morning. The time makes him the third fastest man ever to swim the event trailing only Barrowman and Ed Moses.

Auburn's Dave Denniston is second, at a very impressive 1:55.06, while Virginia frosh Gary Marshall, the Cavs' replacement for Moses, who turned pro after last year's NCAAs, was third in 1:55.78.
Olympian Kyle Salyards, of Georgia, was seventh (1:56.78) as it took 1:56.81 to make the Big Finals, 1:58.61 to consols. Twenty-five men swam under the once-formidable two-minute barrier.

Hansen took the race out uncharacteristically fst, splitting 54.91 at the 100–the only man under 55 seconds at the halfway points.

Texas only qualified one man for this event, Hansen. Stanford placed one in consols.

200 YARD BUTTERFLY
Florida, Stanford and Arizona each qualified two men for the Big Final, with Florida's Duncan Sherrard leading a tightly bunched field at 1:44.15. Texas came away from prelims with two swimmers in the B final, where Stanford has one.

In all, twelve men swam 1:44s, with exactly six-tenths of a second separating all eight finalists. For tonight, look for Stanford's Adam Messner and USC's Jeff Lee to tke the first 100 out hard, then try to hang on.

400 YARD FREESTYLE RELAY
The men's 400 free relay also presents the prospect of a very close race this evening, as the eight finalists are separated by only 1.03 seconds.

texas leads the way at 2:54.27, followed by state rivals, Texas A&M at 2:54.33. The Aggies would love to win the meet's final event at home. Arizona (2:54.61) is third with Cal (2:54.65) fourth. The Bears are hurt by the loss of Swiss whiz, Karel Novy.

Auburn's Greg Busse and A&M's Riley Janes had the two fastest splits, 42.43 and 42.48, respectively.